Building and Testing USSD and SMS Applications

Explore how USSD and SMS apps are assessed, built, and submitted, compare SMIs with us, and examine architecture, components, and their relation to the GSM network.

Build a simple mobile money app with registration, sending money, checking balance, and withdrawals via registered agents, using USSD or shortcode and PIN verification.

Explore how PHP merges multiple arrays into a single array using the array_merge function, combining elements from each input array into one result.

Explore the PHP array_search function to find the first key for a given value in an array, and understand strict mode and default false behavior.

Explore how the PHP function unset removes an array element by index, illustrated by deleting index 2 from a five-element array to yield a four-element result.

Explore how GET and POST HTTP methods pass data to PHP, using name and age as parameters, with GET in the query and POST in the body.

Explore the ussd gateway aggregator and its developer resources, simulator, and sample code for building and testing ussd and sms apps.

Learn to track USSD sessions on the aggregate US platform, identify completed, incomplete, and failed sessions, and use detailed error messages to diagnose why a request did not process.

Build the USSD main menu for registered and unregistered users with options to send money, withdraw, and check balance, and prepare response handling for CON prompts.

Testing the send money menu logic in a USSD app, the lecture demonstrates verifying registered users, input flows (service code, mobile number, amount, PIN), and handling server errors before confirmation.

Develop and refine a go-back flow in a USSD menu by removing the 98 option and the preceding entry, updating array handling to reflect history, and preparing for testing.

Learn to design USSD and sms menus with a finite state machine, defining fixed states, inputs, and transitions to simplify menu changes and maintenance.

Wire the user class to the USSD menu, create a user object, connect to the database, then register or read the user using isRegistered checks and a register method.

This lecture demonstrates end-to-end testing of a send money feature, including registering a new user Mary, setting a pin, confirming the transaction, and verifying updated balances and transaction records.

Test the check balance functionality for a registered user named John, entering the pin 1 2 3 4, and confirming that the wallet balance displays correctly.

Learn to send an sms from a shortcut to a user’s mobile using postman in sandbox, with the sandbox username, recipient number, message, and shortcode 3322.

Configure the branded sms sender by replacing short codes with the company name, enable the U.S. gateway, and send wallet balance updates while including opt-out instructions.

Explore the subscribers table in the database, which stores phone numbers of premium subscribers, a keyword score per user, and an active flag to manage active and inactive subscribers.

Create a simple premium sms sender by building a form that collects shortcode, keyword, and message, posts to a handler. The system processes the delivery with a simulated response.

Learn the information required to request a sender ID or branded SMS, including country, telecom company, brand registration, and a clear description of your business.

Explore how premium sms and ussd workflows enable news content subscriptions, with user consent, premium shortcode-based subscription, and payment deducted from prepaid airtime by the mobile operator.